Ice Castles
by myprovincialife
Summary: Kristanna AU based on the movie Ice Castles. Anna suffers a life-changing injury and needs the help of someone very close to her heart to help her get through.


**Originally posted on tumblr. Based on the movie 'Ice Castles' and specifically the 2010 remake as Taylor Firth actually skates as Anna in Disney on Ice so naturally I had to write this! This was very close to my heart and has been something that I've wanted to tackle for nearly two years and I'm so glad I finally did. Please be nice haha! Enjoy!**

* * *

It had been three weeks since the accident. Three weeks since she'd stepped foot on that frozen pond and crumbled during her triple jump. Three weeks since she'd hit her head, knocking her unconscious for half a day and leaving her indefinitely blind.

Anna was on track to become the best female skater in the world. She got the highest marks in her Grand Prix events and was well on the way to her first national title, but then she blew it by stepping foot on that damn pond.

She resided in her bedroom, unable to leave the comfort of her bed in fear of humiliation. Her coach had dropped her, the skating community was left unsure of a return. Nobody, no press or judges knew of the seriousness of the injury and statements brushed it off as a broken arm. It was more than that. Way more.

She was left alone. Her sister Elsa was so unsure about what to do with her. Day in day out attempting to drag her out into the world for fresh air. She refused and Elsa had enough.

"Yeah. Maybe you should visit," Elsa said to the voice on the phone. "She won't come out for me. She's got cabin fever."

As soon as she put the phone down, she ran up to Anna's room and threw the door open. Anna sat there with headphones in and staring into space, the exact same thing she'd done since she returned.

"Come on!" Elsa yanked the headphones out of her ears and threw back the covers.

"Elsa wh-what?"

"You're rotting away in here Anna. Come on! You're getting out."

"No, Elsa I can't!" Anna shouted back, flailing around to try and keep herself in her bed as Elsa struggled to stand her up.

"Anna, you can't live like this just get up!" She managed to drag her out and down the stairs, picking up her skates on the way.

Fifteen minutes later they stood on the icy pond, Elsa firmly holding Anna's hands and she reluctantly skated forward, blades unsure of what to do.

"Elsa, I can't do this! I'm tired, I just want to go back home!"

"No. You're staying out here to get some fresh air and give those legs something they've been missing."

"But I can't do this! I can't see." Anna sighed, almost in tears.

"When did you become such a wuss?" A voice came from behind Anna and she immediately recognised the sound.

"Kristoff?"

"You know what?" Elsa took Anna's hands and put them in Kristoff's. "I'm tired, I'm gonna go back inside."

"Wait, Elsa!"

"Why didn't you tell me Anna?"

"Well we weren't exactly on speaking terms were we?" Anna let go of Kristoff's hands and immediately began to fall backwards. Luckily Kristoff caught her.

They had been a couple for as long as they could remember. They had skated on this ice together for a decade before finally deciding to make things more official. They ended up doing everything together, they skated together, they ate together, he practically lived at her house. They lived in a small town where almost the entire population skated. There weren't many opportunities here so when Kristoff got the option to go to Michigan State for ice hockey and Anna got selected to be trained by an elite coach, they couldn't pass up the option. They were so happy for each other because they each knew how much the other had dreamed of fulfilling this.

Then things grew weird, they got distant. Anna was unable to take his calls due to long and strict training hours and she'd frequently missed his hockey matches which resulted in a very angry phone call. The thing that broke it all was when her coach forced her to tell the press that she wasn't dating anyone. He said it would make her seem like more of a seductive skater. He'd gotten so angry when he read the article that he'd stopped contacting her altogether. That was a week before the incident. A whole month of no speaking and it was breaking their hearts.

"I thought you just broke your arm Anna. That's what the press were telling me. Gosh my own mother told me that you were fine." He huffed. "Did she know? Did she know about this?"

"Nobody knows."

She tried to make out his figure, she could see some shadows and that was it. She wanted nothing more than to see his face, to apologise and give him all the love he deserved. It wasn't that simple, not anymore.

"Come on, let's get you skating."

"Kris, I can't."

"Yes you can Anna. You're forgetting that you're talking to the person who watched you go from no jumps, to singles, to doubles. I was there when you landed your first triple. Forget about the competitive side. Just remember a time when you skated for fun."

"Fine." She held onto his hands and began to skate forwards.

It was nice to know that the mutual trust was still there.

"Remember when we used to play Marco Polo on this ice. It's not much different."

"I could cheat then."

He chuckled. "Are you telling me you cheated?"

She smiled at his response. That was her Kristoff, treating her like she wasn't suffering. "Every single time."

"That's it." With that, he let go of her hands and watched her struggle for a second before gently skating towards his arms, grabbing them as soon as she felt them.

"You jackass!" She laughed and then relaxed as his arms circled her into a hug. "Can we try this again sometime?" Silence. "The skating! I uh-I mean the skating not, the other thing. Not that I would be against that it's just-"

"Sure Anna. Same time tomorrow."

"Okay. Thanks for you know, doing all this."

"You're welcome."

* * *

"So I'm gonna let go now."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

He let go and Anna started gliding forward putting one foot in front of the other. She smiled, for the first time in a while she's felt truly free.

"10 feet from the edge!" Kristoff shouted which prompted Anna to successfully stop.

"I did it!" She jumped up and down and fell to the ground laughing.

Kristoff skated over and slid onto the ice, encasing her in his arms. "You did! I told you!"

"It felt amazing!" Her bright smile made his heart flutter. "I want to do it again."

"Go on then, nothing's stopping you."

"Okay, help me up." He stood up himself and then lifted her to her feet, smiling as she gained her balance.

An hour later Anna was gliding her way around the ice like this was no different from usual. She now recognised the edges and was able to skate the whole way around the ice without any sort of problem.

"Try a jump." Kristoff said after Anna has proved that she could skate rings around the ice.

Anna frowned. "No. I can't."

"Come on! Get some air."

She skated around and set up for her jumping pass, speeding up and then lifting up and..

"You did it Anna!" He skated over to hug her. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks!"

"I think you should still compete."

"What?" Her hands started to shake, had this been his thought process along? "I can't Kris. It's impossible."

"Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it Anna." He suddenly noticed how fragile she had become, it was as if she's locked herself back away in her shell and wasn't planning on coming out anytime soon.

He put his arms back around her own and he felt her relax at his touch. "You don't have to do anything you don't feel comfortable doing. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up."

Her thought process was running at eighty miles per hour as she contemplated the idea with herself. Could she do it? Probably. There were risks, cautions; she could fall and injure herself again which is very likely, she could make a fool out of herself, she could lose. Another part of her wondered if it was possible. She could win nationals, she could skate blind, she could do this.

"I'll do it."

"What?"

"I'll skate."

"Y-you will? You're sure Anna? I need you to be one hundred percent sure."

"I am." She paused. "As long as your mom coaches me."

His mother had been their teacher, instructor, mentor for many years but she had never been their coach. She had taught them how to first step on the ice and how to save yourself from falling. She had taught her how to do her first axel and choreographed her first ever show piece. Anna wanted her there, she was someone she trusted.

"She's not as entirely qualified as your old coaches but I'm sure she'd be up for it."

"I don't care. I trust her, she can choreograph and coach."

"Okay." He gently slid forward and wrapped his arms around her middle.

It was a long hug and was something she'd definitely craved for a while. She felt his breath upon her neck which was a contrast to the cold air surrounding them. She had realised how much she's missed this. His hugs were something that could have gotten her through her tough days at the rink, she just wished things had worked out differently.

"Come on, how about I take you to Oaken's and we'll get some hot cocoa, for old times sake?"

"I don't know Kris. I haven't been into town since-"

"The people who live in this town have known you since you were a little toddler on the ice. Everyone here loves you and won't judge you at all."

"I know, it's just-"

"I know you're scared. I'll be right here." He took her hand in his as they skated off the ice.

"Kris?"

"Mhm."

"I really missed you and..." She took a shaky breath. "And I'm so sorry for everything that happened."

"I know you are."

He truly did. His Anna wouldn't deny their relationship, his Anna would have spent every waking moment with him if she could. His Anna was right here.

* * *

They spent the next few weeks at the rink getting Anna used to finding where the boards were in relation to the centre of the rink. She now knew the exact direction which the judges sat in as well as all the edges of the rink.

She spent most of her training days with Kristoff's mother who had booked out her rink at certain times of the day just for Anna. Elsa stopped by now and then to see how she was doing, evidently so proud of how far her sister had come since the incident. Kristoff came most days and helped her get her skates on as well as spending time on the ice with her, keeping her balance and maintaining her skill level.

One day Kristoff got his mother to stay behind an extra hour to help him with something.

"I'm going to put this blindfold on and you tell me when I'm in the middle okay?" He grabbed his hockey stick and the puck and began making his way to the centre.

"Stop!" His mother called and he set himself up for a shot.

He lined himself up to where he thought he should be aiming to and then gave it a go. As soon as he hit it he took off the blindfold to see if it had gone in.

"I did it! I knew where it was."

His mother skated over and patted him on the shoulder. "You're a good man."

* * *

A month and a half before nationals Anna was making progress and her routine was in its final stage. It just needed touching up and then it would be ready. She was growing in confidence day by day and nobody was more proud than Kristoff.

Their relationship was better than ever and they fit back into their routine of being friends, best friends. Neither was quite sure of what the future entailed but one thing was sure; there wasn't tension anymore.

He jumped up at the sound of his phone vibrating on his bedside table. Who was calling him at this time of night?

"Kristoff?" The voice said on the other end.

"Elsa?" He quickly gathered himself out of bed and put on his slippers and dressing gown. "What's wrong? Something's wrong. Is it Anna? Is she okay?"

"I'm not sure. I think she's having a nightmare. She's been crying out for you for the past fifteen minutes but I don't want to wake her."

"I'll be right there."

He was at their door within two minutes and he ran straight up to Anna's room. At first glance she looked sound asleep, but then she began to fidget and kick off the blankets.

"Kris, help. Kris!"

He couldn't just stand there and wait for her to wake herself up, so he gently knelt by her side and tried to shake her awake without scaring her.

She jolted up with heavy breathing but then sighed in relief when she saw Kristoff by her side, wrapping her up in his arms.

"I knew you would come back. I was so scared Kris, so scared."

"I know babe, I know."

"I tried calling you when I fell on the ice but my body just wouldn't move, I was screaming inside for you but you couldn't hear me. I was so scared."

His heart broke at her confession. There were times since he's been back that he had wished he was there himself. Part of him wonders if it would have happened if he was there skating beside her.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there Anna. I'm so sorry." His arms rubbed up and down her back as her sobs softened.

Her face tilted up and he put his forehead gently against hers. He could feel her breath hitching and their lips were centimetres away from brushing.

Anna's hands moved up to his shoulders and then to his face where she delicately brushed them over his features.

"I miss being able to see your face," she said.

He didn't know how to reply, so instead he brought his hand to the side of her head and kissed her ever so gently.

She had really underestimated how much she had missed this. His touch, his breath on hers, the feel of his hands in her hair.

When they broke apart, her hands resumed back to his face and her fingers gently fluttered across his lips.

"Stay," she whispered.

He lay her back down on her bed and settled next to her, cuddling her body to his own.

"Always."

* * *

"What colour is it?"

They were looking at the dress that Elsa had custom made for Anna for nationals. She'd spent hours perfecting it and wouldn't tell Anna what it looked like because she wanted it to be a surprise. Now they were revealing it to Anna and she couldn't have been more excited.

"It's lilac," Elsa answered. "It has sequins on the bodice area and then they kind of waterfall towards the bottom."

"Here Anna, feel it." Kristoff picked up her hand and let her feel the dress.

It was silky and felt so soft and floaty. Perfect for skating in.

"I love it Elsa. Thank you."

"You're very welcome."

"Hey, Anna can I show you something?" Kristoff asked.

"Sure." Anna smiled and tried to reach for his hand which she found by his side. "What is it?"

"So I bought you something for nationals." He handed her a little box and he saw her flinch. "It's not a ring. Not yet."

"Okay. Should I..?"

"Open it. I want you to feel them yourself."

She opened the box and let her hands feel what was inside. There were two small studded earrings.

"Earrings? Kris, you didn't have to waste your money on these."

"It's okay, I had some money left from my college fund." He took them from the box and carefully put them into her ears. "Besides, it's not wasting my money."

She blushed. "Thank you."

"They match perfectly with your dress. I asked for Elsa's approval first."

"I wish I could see them." Her hands ran up Kristoff's arms and to his face. "I wish I could see your eyes more."

He took a deep breath as he tried to hold himself together.

After a few minutes she broke the silence. "Do you wish I could see?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Anna." His heart broke trying to figure out what was going on inside her head. "You're perfect however you are. Nothing is going to change how much I care for you."

"I know but wouldn't you rather be with someone who wasn't blind?"

He didn't know what to say. She didn't think he'd have wanted her just the way she was?

"You've always been my Anna, no matter what you're like. You're clumsy, you're a dork and you're so feisty but I wouldn't change you for the world because that's just who you are. You not being able to see just proves how strong you are. Just look at how much you're achieving. You're defying beliefs."

He noticed that she began to get tears in her eyes and he wiped them away.

"I'm also an emotional wreck."

"Still wouldn't have you any other way."

"Do you still love me Kristoff?"

"Of course Anna."

"Like really really love me. Like you used to."

He sat down on the couch and carefully pulled Anna down with him.

"I've never stopped loving you Anna."

"Me too."

He kissed her lips and stroked the hair out of her face.

"It'll be okay, won't it?"

"Everything will be perfect."

* * *

Today was the day and Anna was panicking. It was natural to feel nervous before a big competition but with the weight of this on her shoulders plus the fact that nobody, not even the judges knew was even more pressure.

She was minutes away from stepping on the ice and could hear the comments from the people in the audience.

 _"I didn't think she'd come back."_

 _"Something tells me it was more than a broken bone."_

 _"Why is this no-name woman coaching her?"_

 _"Poor child has no hope."_

"Don't listen to them Anna. They don't know what they're talking about," Kristoff said whilst rubbing his warm hands over her shaking arms.

"They're right."

He moved closer so his mouth was inches from her ear. "Go prove 'em wrong."

She smiled wide and got ready to step onto the ice.

She was stood at the centre, arms floating by her sides and head tilted to the side. With her opening stance ready, the music began to play and she began to glide across the ice. The musicality that flowed through her began to shine and she curved her edges perfectly, creating fluid movements that fit in perfectly with the music.

The song choice had been something that her own mother had skated to and she held this program near and dear to her heart. She hoped her mother would have been proud of what she was doing now. Kristoff has said she would be.

She took a deep breath as she set herself up for her first double of the program. She picked up speed, set off and landed it to perfection. Everyone in the crowd cheered, the perfect set up for the rest of the program. Now she just had to follow through.

Kristoff was the proudest he's ever felt. He'd watched the love of his life go through so much prior to this, whether it was big or small. This was certainly a moment to cherish though. He just wanted to wrap her up and tell her how proud he was of her.

Anna started the last quarter of her program with enough determination to power her through anything. She felt the energy coming from the crowd and the love from her family. The feeling of being free on the ice was enough to make her forget about the fact she was blind, because this was what made Anna happy; skating.

She held onto her final pose and waited for the crowds response. Silence. There was no noise for what felt like hours but then the crowd erupted and Anna's mouth formed the most happy of smiles along with a sigh of relief.

She did it.

A tear escaped Kristoff's eye as he clapped and cheered for Anna. He felt Elsa's arms come around his as she cried tears of joy. His mother was jumping up and down and the crowd was the loudest it had been all night.

Anna bowed and then began to head back to the edge of the rink. The crowd started to throw over teddy bears and flowers and what happened next wasn't what anybody had anticipated.

She tripped over the gifts which sent her flying straight to the floor. She was alive, but dead inside.

The crowd stopped cheering as Anna sat on the floor, unable to gather the courage to stand back up. She just wanted the ice to swallow her whole.

Kristoff, who was watching from the side, didn't hesitate to jump over the boards and slide across the ice to Anna. His heart was pounding.

"Anna!"

He knelt at her level and put his hands on her arms to steady her.

"I guess we forgot about the bears," he said, trying to make lightly of the situation. "I think they know now."

He was relieved when Anna let out a little chuckle as he helped her to her feet.

"I'm okay," she said, withdrawing herself from his arms to give the crowd a small wave, to which they returned their cheers.

"Kris," she whispered, reaching back for him.

He brought her in close and gently moved a stray curl from her face. "I'm so proud of you."

"I know."

She kissed him in front of everyone, her ex-coaches, the press, the crowd, her family... Everyone. It didn't matter to her whether she was 'seductive' or 'appealing,' because right now she had her family by her side supporting her one hundred percent and that's all that mattered.

When the final scores were announced and she had won, he had picked her up and span her around because she had done it and he couldn't have been prouder.

Exactly a year later he proposed to Anna on the exact rink where they had begun skating together. The ring wasn't as big or as flashy as her Olympic medal, but she cherished it even more.

Life was more than a medal. Life was about leaving your comfort zone and being surrounded by people who love you no matter what.

She had found that love and wasn't letting go.


End file.
